Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 291st Edition

Welcome to the 291st Edition of my series. This week I pay tribute to the late Australian actor Bill Hunter who recently left us. This evening I am ring announcing for Action Packed Wrestling at the Ross Center in Muncie. Doors open 6 pm and show starts at 7 pm. Tickets are $12 so come see the great wrestling action action. Thanks to people like Ashley, J.D, and Jason who helped me have a good time in Downtown Muncie last night. On Thursday, I will be going to the Phoenix Theater in Indianapolis to see the show AVENUE Q which I am really excited about. Now let's get to my recommendations as I have done a lot on this blog.

Georgia O'Keeffe (2009): This is the 31st link on The Chain and this link goes once again to Joan Allen. Joan Allen plays the title character who was an American artist in the 1900s. Jeremy Irons plays her husband Alfred Stieglitz who was a photographer and had a hard time remaining faithful to his wife. This takes focus on O'Keeffe's passion on her work and her not wanting to sell out. It also takes a look at their destructive marriage. CAGNEY AND LACEY alum Tyne Daly plays one of O'Keeffe's friends in this film. This is a Lifetime movie and one of their better ones due to the performances of the leads that keep it going.

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004): This is part four of my four-part series for Neil Patrick Harris and only a guy like me would do a four-part series on NPH but I'm proud. Also, I finally saw this movie surprisingly enough. This is a comedy which stars John Cho and Kal Penn as the title characters. Harold is a hard-working bank employee and Kumar who is very smart but does not apply it to much. Kumar then gets the idea to go eat at the iconic White Castle restaurant and to score some pot. Harold then reluctantly agrees and then have the most difficult trip that anyone has ever taken to White Castle. Along the way, the encounter many obstacles like a very weird Neil Patrick Harris, a raccoon, a racist cop, and many other hilarious things. LAW AND ORDER: SVU alum Chris Meloni has a very amusing cameo and a much different way of seeing him that much of us are used to. Fred Willard also has a funny cameo in the beginning. There are a few other familiar cameos and many laughs to be delivered in the nice, irrelevant comedy which was followed by a sequel.

Henry V (1989): This is part one of a two-part Ian Holm series where he plays Captain Fluellen in this film. I go from a stoner comedy to Shakespeare, only on SHAUN BERK'S 10 MOVIE RECOMMENDATIONS. Shakespearean actor Kenneth Branagh stars as the title character who is a young King of England but wages war against France with a small but confident army. I really liked Derek Jacobi in his narrator role and was more of a modern person. Other people in this film include Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench, Christian Bale, Paul Scofield, Emma Thompson, and many others. This is a pretty violent film and if you like Shakespeare, you'll enjoy this adaptation but if you're not a Shakespeare fan, this might not be for you.

Roping Wild Bears (1934): This is my short film for the week which was narrated by Pete Smith who could probably have made the Holocaust fun to watch. In this one we go to a farm and see wild bears invading livestock and people roping them and sending them to zoos. There was some pretty disturbing footage at times like the bear getting a hold of a dog and just seeing the bear being roped and trying to fight it. Still has some pretty entertaining moments.

The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941): I found this on TCM On-Demand and jumped right at it. This movie takes place in 19th century New Hampshire. James Craig plays a loving husband named Jabez Stone but falls onto some hard times when farming. Walter Huston plays Mr. Scratch and you can probably guess which character that would be. Mr. Scratch offers Jabez seven years of good luck but must give up that soul to get it. His family is enjoying this new-found wealth at first until he clearly becomes very greedy and not very good to his neighbors. The character of Daniel Webster is played by Edward Arnold and is an honest local politician who I suppose could be the symbol of God. This was a very well-done and even disturbing film at times. There is a really interesting climax with a "trial". Walter Huston was great as Mr. Scratch and this goes down as quite the sleeper which I hope to be able to put back on the radar.

Contempt (1963): This is my French film for the week which was directed by Jean-Luc Godard. This is a movie and a lot about the movie industry. Michael Piccoli plays writer Paul Javal who is best at writing plays but is hired to write a screenplay on THE ODYSSEY so that it is more commercial. Jack Palance plays American producer Jeremy Prokosch who hires Paul to write this movie and has Fritz Lang, who is regarded as one of the best directors of all time and also is playing himself, direct this film. Brigitte Bardot plays Paul's wife and they are having a difficult marriage hindering Paul's writing. This gives a pretty good insight into the film industry and is great to watch.

Muriel's Wedding (1994): This is my tribute to Bill Hunter who plays the father to the title character. P.J. Hogan wrote and directed this comedy which stars Toni Collette as the title character. Muriel is a very nerdy woman who spends her time alone listening to Abba music and trying to fit in with others who only see her as a nerd. She also has a family which pretty much makes fun of her all the time. She then has enough, steals money and embarks on a new journey become "Mariel". As this person she runs into a high school friend named Rhonda, played by Rachel Griffiths, and she kind of teaches Mariel to come out of her shell. In this new life though, Mariel begins to become what she hates. This was a very interesting satire with Collette showing she is one of the best actresses and most underrated. This is available on Instant Netflix. The success of this film inspired the Broadway hit MOMMA MIA which uses a lot of Abba music.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975): This is a possible part one of a two-part Al Pacino series. Sidney Lumet directs this true story of an intended simple robbery turning into a hostage situation and media circus. Al Pacino stars as Sonny and John Cazale stars as Sal and these are the two people in the hostage situation. We then explore the reasons for Sonny to rob a bank but realizes it was not very well planned. It was unfortunate that Cazale died at such a young age and did not have a long career but this was great entry into the short career. This movie is available on Instant Netflix and is quite the classic.

High Noon (1952): This is my western for the week and one of my favorite of a genre I am not huge with. Gary Cooper stars in this western as Marshall Will Kane who has just gotten married and is set to be leaving the town and walking away from his dangerous life as a Marshall. Things begin to change when Will is informed that a man he put in prison has been pardoned and feels obligated to stay and help when three other men roll into town obviously waiting for Frank Miller, who has just gotten out. Things do not go as planned though when the town refuses to help Kane, including an all-talk deputy Marshall in Harvey Pell, played by Lloyd Bridges. Grace Kelly plays Will's wife who is not big on him staying in that town. Lee Van Cleef makes his film debut here in a very silent role but conveys a lot through his actions and facial expressions. Lon Chaney Jr. also has a part. John Wayne at one point felt this was very "un-American" and Wayne has also conveyed he wish he had gotten the part to make it more like his own westerns. With that being said, all I have to say is thank you for casting Gary Cooper and not John Wayne. It was also meant to be a statement towards Hollywood for not standing up to the Joe McCarthy witch hunts. This is available on Instant Netflix.

Easy Virtue (2008): Stephen Elliot wrote and directed this comedy which is based on a play by Noel Coward. Ben Barnes stars as young Englishman John Whittaker and SEVENTH HEAVEN alum Jessica Biel plays his American wife Larita which takes place between the world wars. He then takes her to meet his upper class family who does not receive her very well. Kristen Scott Thomas co-stars as John's mother who really makes life difficult for Larita. Larita just does not fit in with the British way of life and is actually a female race card drive. Colin Firth stars as John's less judgmental father who takes a little more interest in her and vice versa. This is a pretty good portrait on a dysfunctional family from this era with a pretty good performance out of Biel.

Well that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you might hate. Stay tuned for next week which so far includes more Joan Allen, more Ian Holm, and many others. This week, I have an honorable mention for a book I finished and the return of Fun and Useless Facts.

HONORABLE BOOK MENTION

Mickey Rourke: Wrestling With Demons by Sandro Monetti: I had no idea this book even existed until my mom gave it to me for my birthday. She said she spent a couple hours looking for a book for me and finally when seeing this she knew this would likely do and she was absolutely right. The person who wrote the book has written for other celebrities and is a big fan of Mickey Rourke. He met with Rourke and did an interview. Most who know me know that I am a Mickey Rourke fan, even before THE WRESTLER which brought him back full circle into the film industry. When I am in a show and have an unnamed character, I always give the unofficial name of "Mickey Rourke" which some of my peers in theater know that and if not, they just found out if they read this. The book is not really a chronological order of his life but each chapter has a certain theme which plays out very well. This book discusses some of his childhood and things that happen to him that may have contributed to his problems with authority which lead to his big downward spiral in the '90s. Mickey Rourke rose big as an actor in the 80s and was considered a bad boy heartthrob. He had it all but his problem with authority would prove to be his downfall. He never really had an drug or alcohol problems, just a lot of emotional issues and problems with authority. In the '90s , he mostly walked away from acting to pursue his dream of boxing where he had a fairly successful boxing career as Mickey "El Marielito" Rourke. While he either won or drew on all eight of his fights, it would prove to ruin those good looks he was known for which was part of what was keeping him from trying to make his comeback. This was a very low-point for him as he was down and out and even contemplating suicide. He had to take parts in some pretty bad movies but occasionally was able to get pretty decent parts like through Tony Scott and Robert Rodriguez. The first step in his long road to a comeback came from Francis Ford Coppola who cast him in THE RAINMAKER. One interesting thing I read about his boxing career was that it taught him a discipline he never had. When trying to get back into film, he made himself a lot more easier to work with. The book also talks about his love for dogs, most notably Chihuahuas which is what we have at home. When winning the Golden Globe for Best Actor for THE WRESTLER, he even included his dogs in his speech and even crediting them to saving his life. He has contemplated suicide but never went through with it and a lot of that has to do with him not wanting to leave his dogs uncared for. He has also gone through therapy which he remains in to this day but also credits that to getting his life together. The book also talks about his unique fashion sense and his unusual outfits he has worn. This is a great story about a man with so much talent but was very hard to work with. When finally learning how to work with people, he had burnt a lot of bridges in a very long journey but through lots of help with friends, dogs, and his therapist has come back full circle when Darren Aronofsky cast him in THE WRESTLER. As a wrestling fan and as a ring announcer in independent wrestling, I have never been so excited when hearing about this movie which was both a serious film on wrestling and starring Mickey Rourke who I knew was going to be perfect for the part. I know a lot of people who label him as "creepy" and I hate when people say that about him. I see him as very unique and really like his current look. When I watch Mickey Rourke in his films, for me there is always something so real about him in his portrayals of his characters. In reading this book, as an actor myself and someone considering looking into a career in acting, I learned a lot of things about preparation for parts but I also learned of things not to do so that I don't quite take his path in a career. I am to the point that if I had the choice to meet any celebrity I would choose Mr. Rourke and hopefully someday I will meet him. This book gives a lot of great insight about Rourke and is a must-read for Rourke fans and people becoming fans of him. For the haters out there who see him as "creepy", remember he is different and unique. He is not like the other personalities. He stands out on his own. Other favorite films of Rourke include ANGEL HEART, SIN CITY, BARFLY, RUMBLE FISH, THE EXPENDABLES, among others. There are many big movies that he declined in favor of things he wanted to do but apparently filmed some scenes in THE THIN RED LINE that were cut and he was not the only actor that happened to. He has also said that was his best performance and no one got to see it so hopefully Terrance Malick can release a director's cut sometime to include his scenes.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

I decided to bring back this segment for the week and will even include Mickey Rourke whose book I used in my honorable mention section. If anyone can think of something on this, just put it in your comments.

HAROLD AND KUMAR cameo actors Ryan Reynolds and Christopher Meloni have both played the DC comics superhero the Green Lantern. Reynolds plays him in the upcoming 2011 film GREEN LANTERN. Meloni plays the part in 2009 animated film GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT.

BATMAN FRANCHISE
-Neil Patrick Harris (Harold and Kumar) provided the voice for Dick Grayson in the 2010 animated movie BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD. Grayson is grown up here playing Nightwing but was the first Robin that Batman trained.
-Christian Bale (Henry V) plays Batman in the Christopher Nolan era and will play the part one more time in 2012.
-Jack Palance (Contempt) plays crime lord Carl Grissom in the 1989 film BATMAN and was a character written for this movie and has never been used in other films, comics, or cartoons. This character was responsible for the Joker character coming to be in this Tim Burton version of the superhero.

Neil Patrick Harris (Harold and Kumar) played the part on Tobias in a stage version of SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. My Facebook friend Corey played the part in the 2005 version at the Muncie Civic Theater and has gone onto have a successful acting career in Chicago.

Robbie Coltrane (Henry V) plays the Duke in THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN. My Facebook friend Ed played the part in the 2009 musical version BIG RIVER at the Muncie Civic theater in which I was in the chorus and showed each night how I was all for having him tar and featured.

Judi Dench (Henry V) replaced Jeremy Irons (Georgia O'Keeffe) as the narrator for Spaceship Earth at Epcot at Disney World. I sure didn't foresee that type of fact coming about.

Anne Shirley (The Devil and Daniel Webster) plays Anne in the 1940 film ANNE OF WINDY POPLARS. My Facebook Friend Linda played the part in ANNE OF GREEN GABLES at the Muncie Civic Theater I believe in 2008 and even won a Civvie award for her performance.

Jack Palance (Contempt) plays Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the 1968 tv movie THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. Robbie Coltrane (Henry V) plays the part in the 2004 film VAN HELSING.

Fritz Lang (Contempt) and Neil Patrick Harris (Harold and Kumar) play themselves in their respective features for this edition.

Al Pacino (Dog Day Afternoon) lends Jeremy Irons (Georgia O'Keeffe) money in the 2004 Shakespeare film adaptation THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

Marcia Jean Kurtz (Dog Day Afternoon) has a small part in the 2008 film THE WRESTLER which stars Mickey Rourke (Mickey Rourke: Wrestling With Demons).

Lloyd Bridges (High Noon) played the musketeer Aramis in the 1979 film THE FIFTH MUSKETEER. Jeremy Irons (Georgia O'Keeffe) played Aramis in the 1998 film THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK.

Kristin Scott Thomas (Easy Virtue) and Toni Collette (Muriel's Wedding) were both considered for the part of Mrs. Lovett in the 2007 film SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. I feel Collette would have been great for the part.

Colin Firth (Easy Virtue) hires Emma Thompson (Henry V) in the 2005 film NANNY MCPHEE.